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Editorial

Endorsement: Josh Mandel for state treasurer

Mandel is best choice, but he should seek wiser, expert advice

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Thursday October 21, 2010 6:18 AM

For state treasurer -

The race for the Ohio treasurer's office doesn't give voters a comfortable choice: Both
candidates are young and lack the experience and expertise that would be ideal for safeguarding the
state treasury in these particularly challenging times.

But the disappointing performance and poor judgment shown by the Democratic incumbent, Kevin L.
Boyce, leads
The Dispatch to endorse Republican
Josh Mandel, a state representative from Lyndhurst.

Mandel, a 33-year-old Marine Reserve veteran who served in Iraq, would bring energy to the job.
As a legislator, Mandel has supported important initiatives, including the Third Frontier
tech-investment program and the efforts of Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut to
establish centers of excellence at Ohio colleges and universities.

Mandel cites as an influence the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan group that advocates sound
federal budget policies: reducing the deficit and getting entitlement costs under control to ensure
a healthy economy for the future.

Mandel's unnecessarily dirty campaign, however, raises questions about his judgment. The worst
example is the infamous "mosque" commercial. The ad could have made an effective and damaging
point: Days after a Boston bank hired a good friend of Boyce's deputy treasurer as a lobbyist,
Boyce awarded the bank $32 million in contracts.

That is inherently questionable. But the ad went further, suggesting that Boyce, the deputy
treasurer and the lobbyist hatched plans for the bank deal and for Boyce to hire the lobbyist's
wife "at their mosque" - a clear appeal to anti-Muslim prejudice and a falsehood, considering that
Boyce attends a Christian church.

Boyce, a former Columbus City Council member appointed to the office after former Treasurer
Richard Cordray was elected as attorney general, hired friends and relatives of friends, including
the 24-year-old son of an adviser to Gov. Ted Strickland, the 22-year-old daughter of his one-time
political mentor, two friends from high school, colleagues from Columbus City Hall and Democratic
Party operatives. Could they all have been the most-qualified prospects for the jobs?

Such cronyism bodes no good for the future and should not be rewarded.

For Mandel's part, if he is elected,
The Dispatch strongly advises that he surround himself with seasoned veterans in financial
management as well as public service. Ohio needs a treasurer both competent and ethical.